The japan rail pass or commonly called jr pass is a special pass valid for unlimited travel nationwide on transportations operated by japan railways or commonly called jr. A green pass is good for rides in businessclass green train cars. Japan rail green pass is a first class ticket which allows passengers to enjoy the most comfortable and best seats on all shinkansen bullet trains and certain fast lines. Confidently travel all around the country with your jr pass for the best price and discover its landscapes from a safe and comfortable mean of transportation. Shinkansen and limited express train reservations ticketing jr. Once ordered, the jr pass exchange order is only valid for three months, so if you want to book for july, make a note to come back to this page in april or may.
The japan national rail pass is for unlimited travel on japan rail lines and selected buses and ferries. The ordinary pass permits travel on the standard carriages whereas a green pass permits travel on the luxurious green carriages. From the spring of 2020, japan rail pass customers will be able to book these reserved seats online or get one from a ticket machine at bullet train stations. Japan rail pass buy from a trusted uk seller trainline. Booking seats with the japan rail pass is pretty straightforward.
The japan rail pass allows you to book reserved seats on specific jr trains for free. Green carriages have the additional comfort of extra legroom and generously padded seats. Reservations can be made from one month before your travel date up until 11. You have to show your pass when you make a reservation. The japan rail pass also commonly called jr pass is a very cost effective rail pass for long distance train travel in japan the pass can be used by foreign tourists only, and offers unlimited use of jr trains for one, two or three weeks at a cost that residents of japan can only dream of. You may find that having a specific seat is more comfortable than looking for empty seats on the unreserved cars. To make a reservation, go to any jr ticket office or a midorinomadoguchi ticket. A japan rail pass also known for short as jr pass and jr rail pass is the cheapest pass and a special discount ticket available only for travellers visiting japan from abroad as tourists. The secondgreen pass first class pass gives more spacious seats than ordinary pass.
However, if you want to book a seat you can do so without additional charges before you catch your train by going into a booking office at the train station midori no madoguchi and showing your japan rail pass. Please bear in mind that you can only book your jr pass exchange order if you are travelling within the next three months. Jr trains seat guide, gran class, green class and ordinary class seats. Buy the japan rail pass from jtb, the japan specialist. It will still be possible to make seat reservations for passes other than the japan rail pass. This could be a risky choice for familygroup travelers who want to have seats together. It ends up being standing room only if you arent at the front of the queue in the unreserved section. The japan rail pass is the most comprehensive rail pass available because it spans japans largest railway companies jr companies.
In addition to all of the advantages the japan rail trains have to offer, youll enjoy an. Dont worry, japan is one of the safest countries in the world and there is a great possibility that your belongings have been handed in. We plan to use the trains between cities, and within the cities themselves. When to book you can make reservations right up to train departures, although during national holidays such as golden. Be aware that this can only be done once you are already in japan, as only the jr east trains have an online seat reservation system. Seat reservations can be made for trains operating until may 31. I usually book all of my long distance travel seats at the same time that i exchange the rail pass voucher for my rail pass when i first arrive at the airport in japan.
Jr pass, jr east pass, tokyo wide pass, sanyo sanin area pass, takayama hokuriku area pass, hokkaido rail pass and kyushu rail pass, you must turn in your exchange order to the actual pass before booking your seat. It can be used straight from the narita airport and on several local train in and around tokyo. It can be used by foreign tourists only, and offers costefficient unlimited use of jr trains for 7 days, 14 days or 21 days. Learn with our travel angel chris how to make a seat reservation and how to get to your train with a japan rail pass.
No other ticket is needed except when using a reserved seat, in which case you will get a seat reservation ticket. Keep hold of your ticket as you may have to present both your japan rail pass and seat reservation to the ticket inspector. In cases where you plan to travel a great deal in one region these can be an option. Seat reservations can be made free of charge using the japan rail pass. For example, for shinkansen bullet trains, an activated ordinary jr pass can be used to reserve an advance seat in ordinary class carriages. How to reserve a seat of shinkansen with jr pass japan. The japan rail pass is not valid for travel on the nozomi and mizuho shinkansen services including nonreserved seats on both. How to reserve a seat of shinkansen with your jr pass japan rail pass and when to reserve a seat for busy and nonbusy season. The japan rail pass offers unlimited travel on trains operated by japan railways group throughout japan. Booking website are usually in japanese only, and therefore not very easy to use for non japanese speakers. Hyperdia transport maps and prices you are opening a link to an external nonjtb website. Make reservasion in advance is recommended for busy season. Get your japan rail pass sent to you for free with a detailed map of the railway network and enjoy a.
Unlimited rail travel throughout japan on the jr lines. However, you can only book shinkansen and limited express trains running on the jr east network, that is to say tokyo, the northern part of japan and the narita express. Back to using the japan rail pass how to book seats if youre not yet in japan. There is no additional charge for making a seat reservation once at the ticket office. Please take your japan rail pass to any jr ticket office midorinomadoguchi.
Japan rail pass holders are entitled to book a seat on all japan railways trains free of charge. If you are making a reservation with a rail pass, only you the passholder can do this. This means you cannot reserve your seats before you arrive in japan. The railway in japan is internationally known for its 20 000 km length servicing the whole country, its punctuality and speed. Assuming youre on board with shinking your way around japan, you need to look at whether single tickets or a jr rail pass either countrywide or regional will work out most economical. Available for a 7, 14 or 21 consecutive day period. You have to book and receive your own ticket by presenting your pass at jr ticket offices. Those traveling with a jr pass can book a seat for free on any of the jr trains. Jr passes are available in durations of 7days, 14days and 21days. Under the current system, japan rail pass customers need to go to a jr ticket window to book a reserved seat on bullet trains. You can however exchange your vouchers for the jr pass once you get to japan and start booking your seats straight away.
Guide to buy jr pass green or ordinary posted on march 28, 2011 february 2, 2019 author takeshi administrator categories rail pass for visitors, tips for japan rail pass tags green, green car, odoriko, ordinary, rapid train. That way i am booking well enough in advance that my entire group will likely be seated near each other and there are usually plenty of seats available. Looking to buy your japan rail pass for this summer. You can not reserve your seats online or before coming to japan train station. The japan rail pass can be purchased to cover a travel period of 7, 14 or 21 days. The japan rail pass discounted travel on japan railways. Your japan rail pass entitles you to free seat reservations on all trains that are valid with your rail pass.
With your jr pass in hand you can start exploring japan. We are traveling to japan this winter holiday season, dec. Once you have swapped your exchange coupon to your actual japan rail pass in japan, you can begin to book tickets in either reserved seating or unreserved seating sections. Many rail companies offer rail passes for their own networks. Check out how, when and where to reserve your seat in advance. Note that children under the age of 6 travel free in japan, while children 611 travel at halfprice accordingly a childs rail pass can be purchased at half the adult rate. Also, the reserved seat you booked using this service cannot be used as a reserved seat etc. The japan rail pass is a discount pass for travel on japan railways jr rail lines and is one of the best value deals for touring japan. It covers travel on all shinkansen trains except for the very fastest ones. We have booked a stay in tokyo, then kyoto, and then back to narita. This service cannot be combined with other tickets including the japan rail pass. How to reserve a seat of japan railway trains at the station and.
If you have already validated your pass and need only to make seat reservations. The tokyo center is located at the yaesu northexist concourse of tokyo station, and is open 10. The japan rail pass is the best way to travel in japan, period. The green pass stands for a first class ticket, which allows you to access the most comfortable and spacious seating areas on all shinkansen bullet trains and certain fast lines. The pass can be obtained for one, two or three weeks. The jr group does not allow to change to a reserved seat once you have boarded the train.
They simply have to look for a jr pass ticket office midori no mado guchi or a jraffiliated travel centre to make the reservations. You have to purchase the pass before you arrive in japan, it is only available to people visiting on a tourist visa. This pass offers economy 2nd class or green 1st class travel. Seats with individual radios more legroom wider and softer reclining seats. The japan rail pass is resereved for travellers, on a touristic stay in japan, who wish to use the train to travel around the country.
Seats can be reserved free of charge at station midori no mado guchi ticket offices, recognisable by the green sign see photo, or at travel service centres and jrassociated travel agencies. Before reserving any seats, you must transform your japan rail pass e xchange order to your jr pass to then start reserving seats. The japan rail pass is a physical document which will be delivered to the procurers residential address by a transport company. You can go to any jr ticket office midorinomadoguchi, to make a seat reservation. You can reserve a seat with your jr pass at jr ticket offices which you can find at all stations which shinkansen stops. However, if you are traveling during peak hours or peak season, it is better to reserve your seats in advance. The japan rail pass is getting even better in 2020. To board those services, you must pay in full for the basic fare and the limited express charge. How to reserve a seat of japan railway trains at the. Japan rail pass holders can reserve seats on the bullet train for free. The green pass versus the ordinary pass when purchasing a jr rail pass, you must decide between a green car pass and an ordinary car pass.
The japan rail pass is a special pass valid for unlimited travel on japan railways jr transportation, including all jr trains. With 12,400 miles of tracks you can rail almost anywhere in japan. The japan rail pass is not valid for any seats, reserved or nonreserved, on nozomi and mizuho trains on the tokaido, sanyo and kyushu shinkansen lines. The vast and extensive train network and its reliability makes it the fastest and most convenient means of travel in the country. If you will not be using a pass, select travelers without a rail pass. If youre traveling to multiple regions on japans main islands and youd like to save some money, a japan rail pass is a musthave it basically pays for itself if youre making one return trip by shinkansen bullet train from tokyo to kyoto. If you hold a standard 2nd class japan rail pass, you do not necessarily need to reserve seats in a shinkansen because you can just enter a carriage for unreserved seats this is typically ideal if you are in a rush. In terms of cost, for an adult, a 7day ordinary car pass costs y29,110 and a 7day green car pass costs y38,880 if purchased outside of japan. Reservations cannot be made in english for most routes outside japan, but you can reserve jr east trains here. The seats you should most definitely try and book in advance are the limited express seats to takayama, especially if you are going to the takayama spring festival 1415 april. If you did not validate your japan rail pass at the airport, or did not make seat reservations at the airport jr travel service center, find a different jr travel center to validate your pass.
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